Paper machine clutch drive



April 19, 1949.

Filed March 22, 1945 L. HORNBOSTEL PAPER MACHINE CLUTCH DRIVE 4 Sheets-Sheet l 1.o ra,- Hoen/sosrsz..

April 19, 1949- l.. HORNBOSTEL. 2,467,829

PAPER MACHINE CLUTCH DRIVE Filed March 22, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .ELE-Z- l Mm APli119, 1949- oooooooooo El. 2,467,829 Y PAPER MACHINE CLUTC H D R I VE April 19, 1949. HoRNBosTEL PAPER MACHINE CLUTCH DRIVE 4 Sheets-Sheell 4 Filed March 22, 1943 ma ya foeweosrc-L, ls

Patented Apr. 19, 1949 PAPER MACHINE CLUTCH DRIVE Lloyd Hornbostel, Beloit, Wis., assignor to Beloit Iron Works, Beloit, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 22, 1943, Serial No. 480,053

7 Claims.

This invention relates to clutch drives for machines. v

Specifically, the invention relates to iluid pressure-controlled clutch drives for starting sections of machines such as paper making machines, which sections are all driven by a single prime mover.

The invention willv hereinafter be specifically the forming part, press sections, drier sections,y

and the like of such machines, are driven from a single primev mover such as a powerful electric motor or a steam turbine. A line shaft extending alongside of the paper making` machine, and driven by the prime mover, has belt and cone pulley connections with right angle gear units at each section of the machine. These right angle gear units drive inshafts to the machine sections. A fluid pressure-operated clutch is provided in advance of each right angle gear unit so as to drive this unit. The clutch has a plurality of driving friction plates separated by shoes to be driven thereby for driving the right angle gear unit. The friction plates have splined connection with the driving side of the clutch. The shoes have splined connection with the driven side of the clutch. The clutch has a flexible diaphragm for acting on the shoes and friction plates to urge the same into tight engagement.

slippage in the clutches is thus eliminated and the sections of the machine will be driven through a direct drive from the line shaft at speeds determined by the cone pulley and belt connections with the line shaft.

It is, then, an object of this invention to provide clutch drives for machines which prevent damage to the prime mover of the machine as well as the machine itself.

Another object of the -invention is to provide an automatic safety starting device for machinery.

Another object of the invention is to provide fluid pressure-actuated clutch drives for machines adapted to automatically slip couple machine parts witha prime mover upon starting of the parts, and automatically directly couple the parts with the prime mover after the starting inertia of the parts has been overcome.

Another object of the invention is to provide fluid pressure-actuated clutch drives for paper making machines.

A specific object of the invention is to provide compressedair-actuated clutches between the lnshaft and line shaft of a paper making machine for'automatically starting the inshaft through a slip couple and then directly driving the inshaft This diaphragm is flexed by fluid under pressure.

Compressed air is the preferred operating fluid. The compressed air is preferably supplied to the diaphragm of each clutch from a single supply line through branch feed pipes which connect the supply line to each diaphragm. Each branch feed line has a pressure-reducing valve therein with a valved by-pass therearound. When the by-pass is closed, air is supplied to each clutch under reduced pressure and the clutches will provide a slip drive to each inshaft, thereby gently starting the various sections of the machine.

Automatic means are provided to open the bypass around each pressure-reducing valve for subjecting each diaphragm to full air pressure when the sections of the machine reach a desired speed as compared with the driving speed. The

when the same has reached a predetermined speed. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide a `clutch having high thermal capacity.

A still further object of the invention is to provideclutch drives for paper making machines having-a remote control, large thermal capacity, and variable starting torques.

vA further object of the invention is to provide a iluid'pressure control for fluid pressure-operated clutches which initially slip-couples the clutch parts and then directly couples the clutch parts.

`A specific object of the invention is to provide an automatic fluid pressure control for fluid actuated clutches which initially slip-couples the clutch parts and, when the driven clutch parts reach a' predetermined speed, automatically divrectly couples the clutch parts.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a fluid pressure-actuated clutch with an y automatic fluid pressure control arrangement which initially slip-couples the clutch parts and then, after a predeterminedvperiod of time, directly couples the clutch parts.

. Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheets of drawings which, by way of preferred asoman 3 examples, illustrate two embodiments of the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a broken, fragmentary, somewhat diagrammatic plan view of a paper machine clutch drive according to this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view, taken along the line Ill-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a-vertical cross-sectional view, taken along the line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of an alternative clutch drive according to this invention.

Figure 5 is a wiring diagram for the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 4.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure 1 the reference numeral I3 designates a prime mover such as an electric motor driving a pulley il with a belt I2 therearound. The belt I2 drives a pulley I3 on a line shaft I4. The line shaft has a plurality of cone pulleys I5 thereon. In a paper making machine the line shaft i4 extends along the full length of the machine and the pulleys i5 are positioned adiacent each section of the machine. Each pulley i5 drives a belt i6 which belt, in turn, drives a cone pulley I1 having a reversed taper with respect to the driving cone pulley I5. Lateral shifting of the belt I6 across the faces of the pulleys I5 and i1 will control the speed of the pulley I1.

Each pulley I1 drives a shaft i5 to a fluid pressure-operated clutch I5 of this invention. The clutch i9 has a shaft 23, which shaft 23 is connecied, through a right angle gear unit including meshing bevel gears 2l, to an inshaft 22. The inshafts 22 are coupled to the various sections of the paper machine (not shown) such as, for example, the drier section, the press section, and the like.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, each clutch i9 includes a spider or flange 23 with a hub 24 on the shaft I5 and connected for corotation with the shaft as by means of a key 25. The flange or spider 23 carries an annular band or ring 26 projecting laterally therefrom. The ring or band 26 can be secured to the flange or spider 23 as by means of bolts 21.

The interior of the band or ring 23 is splined or toothed as at 25.

The shaft I3 projects beyond the flange 23 and has a reduced diameter end portion I8a receiving the inner race ring of a roller bearing 23 therearound.

The shaft projects into a hub member 33 and is keyed to this hub member as by means of a key 3 I.

The hub member 33 has an enlarged recess 32 therein beyond the end of the shaft 23 providing a shoulder 33. The outer race ring of the bearing 29 is seated in this recess 32 and a thrust disk 34 is bottomed on the shoulder 33 to receive the outer race ring of the bearing 23 thereagainst. As shown in Figure 2, this disk 34 has a thickened peripheral portion so that the disk will not rub against the inner race ring of the bearing 29.

An abutment plate 35 is bolted, as by means of bolts 36, to the end face of the hub member 33. This plate 35 receives the shaft I5 therethrough and has a recess 31 therein bottoming a thrust washer 38 engaging the other side of the outer race ring of the bearing 23. A bearing seal 39 is mounted in the recess 31. The shaft I 8 preferably has a lubricant pasage therein (not shown) for supplying lubricant to the bearing 23.

The hub member 33 is externally splined or toothed as at 43 but has a reduced-diameter portion 33a which is unsplined and receives therearound the hub 4i of a diaphragm plate member 42. The plate 42 has a recessed face portion 43 bounded by inner and outer concentric raised face portions 44.

A exible diaphragm 45 overlies the relieved face portion 43 and is held against the raised face rings 44 in sealing relation therewith by means of a ring 43 covering the outer peripheral portion of the diaphragm, and an inner ring 41 covering the inner portion of the diaphragm. Bolts 45 extend through the ring 43, outer peripheral portion of the diaphragm 45, and plate 42 to secure the outer peripheral portion of the diaphragm to the plate in sealing relation with the raised ring portion 44 thereof. Bolts such as 43 extend through the plate 42, the inner marginal portion of the diaphragm 45, through the ring 41, and into the hub member 33 for holding the inner marginal portion of the diaphragm in sealing engagement with the inner ring face 44 and for securing the plate 42 to the hub 33.

A shoe 53 is slidably splined on the hub 33 and has a face portion for receiving the diaphragm 45 thereagainst.

Additional shoes 5l are likewise slidably splined onto the hub 33. Springs 52 are positioned between the shoes 5|, between the shoe plate 35 and an adjacent shoe 5I, and between the shoe 50 and adjacent shoe 5i for urging the shoes apart in a direction toward the diaphragm 45.

A plurality of metal disks 53 are slidably splined in the band or ring 26 and have friction material covers 54 on each face thereof adapted to frictionally engage the shoes 53 .and 5I and the shoe plate 35.

The shaft 23 has an axial bore 23a therein together with a radial bore 23h intersecting the bore 23a adjacent the hub 33. A pipe connection 55 joins the bore 23h with the space between the diaphragm 45 and the relieved face 43 of the plate 42.

When fluid under pressure, such as compressed air, is supplied through the bores 23a and 23h and through the pipe connection 55 to the space between the diaphragm 45 and relieved face of the plate 42, the diaphragm will be flexed outwardly to slide the adjacent shoe 53 toward the adjacent friction covering on the first disk 53. The diaphragm force will overcome the force of the springs 52 and the shoe 53 will act through the disks 53 and shoes 5| for pressing the assembly together to couple tthe flange 23 with the hub 33 and thereby drive the shaft 23 from the shaft i8. The shoe plate 35, of course, is fixed on the hub 33 so that movement of the shoe 53 by the diaphragm 45 is effective to hold the shoes in frictional engagement with the coverings 54 on the disks 53.

When fluid pressure is relieved from the dlaphragm-actuating space, the springs 52 are effective to slide the shoes 5I and 53 away from frictional engagement with the friction material 54 thereby breaking the drive connection between the shafts I8 and 23.

If the fluid pressure is such that the shoe 53 is not pressed with suillcient force to couple the shoes and shoe plates with the disks, a slip driving connection will be obtained. In accordance with this invention, such a slip-driving connection will be suillcient to start the sections of the l thereby gently start the inshafts 22.

machine at a gentle rate of acceleration from a high-speed prime mover without damaging any of the machine parts or the prime mover.

Since a friction slip couple between driving -the shoe plate 35. The iiange or spider 23 has large ports 23a therethrough. Air can freely ilow through the passageways provided by the ports and, in addition, can flow around the shoe 50 and shoe plate 35. Dissipation of the heat of friction is thereby obtained in an enicient manner.

As best shown in Figure 3, each disk 53 is slidably splined to the teeth 28 of the drum, and each disk 53, therefore has splines or teeth 60 therearound. In addition, and as also shown in Figure 3, each shoe 5I is slidably splined on the splines 40 of the hub 30 and for this purpose is internally splined or toothed as at 6I. The shoe 50 has similarly splined teeth 62, as shown in Figure 2, engaging the splined teeth 40.

As shown in Figure 1, compressed air can be supplied to the diaphragm chamber of each clutch I9 from a supply pipe 65 controlled by a lvalve 66. The air from the supply pipe 65 is other clutches. The valve 10 is arranged so that it can be operated to stop air flow to the shaft and at the same time relieve the air pressure behind the diaphragm by discharging the same through an outlet 10a in the valve. 'The main control valve 66 has a similar air outlet 66a for stopping all of the clutches.

The reducing valve 61 is set so that air passing therethrough will be at a low pressure sufficient only to slip-couple the shafts I8 and 20 and In order to automatically decrease the slip-couple and directly connect the inshaft 22 with the driving shaft I8, the by-pass 68 is provided and the valve 69 controlling flow therethrough is automatically opened whenever the speed of the driven shaft 28 increases to a predetermined speed. For this purpose the hub 24 of the clutch flange 23 has a sprocket 1I keyed thereon while the yshaft 20 has a similar sprocket 12 keyed thereon. The sprocket 1I drives a chain 13 and the sprocket 12 drives a chain 14, The chains 13 and 14 respectivelydrive small lgenerators 15 andk 16.

Pilot generators 15 and 16 have been diagrammatically illustrated byline 11 as jointly effecting operation of a relay 18 which in turn effects closure of an energization circuit .19 to the electrically operated valve 69. Any conventional differential relay may be employed for this purpose which compares one voltage with another or one current with another, and which closes an electric circuit when a balance is obtained. By

No. 1,653,078 may be employed, the circuit closing contacts of the Winter construction being connected in the energization circuit of the valve 69 hereof. Whenever the generator 16 is driven sufllciently fast from the driven shaft 20 as compared with the speed at which the generator Il is driven from the drive shaft I8, the outputs of these generators approach each other and are substantially balanced. This causes the relay 18 to operate and close the energization circuit of the valve 69. Energization of this circuit, which is diagrammatically indicated at 19, opens the valve 69 thereby by-passing the reducing valve 61 and subjecting the diaphragm of the clutch to full air pressure of the supply pipe 65. As .a result of this full or increased air pressure, the diaphragm 45 of each clutch will be further ilexed to decrease the slip couple between the friction parts and frictionally couple these parts without slippage therebetween so that the shafts I8 and 28 will be frictionally connected for driving at the same speed.

In the arrangement of Figure 1, therefore, the prime mover I0 drives the driving parts of the clutches I9 -at speeds' determined by the cone pulley and belt connections with the main line shaft I4. The driven parts of the clutch are initially slip-coupled with the driving parts by air under pressure. The air pressure is heldat a reduced rate by reducing valves 61 until the driven parts of the clutch are brought up to speed, whereupon the clutches will be subjected to full air pressure for changing the slip couple to a non-slipping, friction couple. As a result, the heavy inertia parts of the machine can be started without possible damage to the parts or to the prime mover. The clutches can be controlled from a, remote point since the supply pipe 65 can extend to a control board remote from the machine and from the clutches. The manual valves 10 can be operated to selectively control each individual-clutch. When it is desired to stop a particular section of the machine, the valve 10 controlling air ow to the clutch driving that particular section is actuated so as to relieve the air pressure from that particular clutch. When itis desired to stop all of the sections of the machine, the valve 66 is actuated to relieve air pressure from all of theA clutches.

An alternative automatic control forthe clutches I9 is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. In Figure 4, parts identical with parts described in Figure 1 have been marked with the same reference numerals. As shown in Figure 4, the by-pass 68 around the pressure-reducing valve 61 has a solenoid-operated control valve 80 which, when energized, is in closed position as contrasted with the valve 69 of Figure l, which is opened when energized.

A three-way solenoid-operated valve 8| is provided in the feed pipe 60 between the shaft 20 and the by-pass 68. When the valve 8I is energized,

it is moved to a position for supplying air from I energized whenever the switch 84 is closed and a way of example and not by way of limitation, A

time switch 85 is also closed. This time switch 8l is controlled by a timer 86 which is energized whenever the switch 84 is closed. After the timer 86 has been energized for a predetermined period, it will open the time switch 8l to deenergize the valve 80 thereby opening the valve and permitting flow of air through thebypass I8 around the reducing valve 61.

The arrangement of Figures 4 and 5 therefore is such that the clutch I9 is Aoriginally subjected to air under pressure determined by the reducing valve 61 for slip-coupling the shaft 2! with the drive shaft I8. After a definite period of time from the initial starting of the clutch, the timer 8S will deenergize the valve lli thereby opening the by-pass 68 and subjecting the clutch I9 to full air pressure for frictionally coupling the clutch parts without slippage therebetween. At the same time, the solenoid Il is automatically moved to pass air through the pipe 66 to the clutch I9 whenever the main control switch 84 is closed. Whenever this switch 84 is opened, the valve 8l automatically vents the air pressure in the clutch through the outlet Bia and closes the pipe line 660.

From the above descriptions it will be understood that this invention now provides safety clutch drives for machinery andespecially suitable for paper making machines. The clutches of the invention are automatically actuated by air under pressure to initially siipcouple a machine part with its prime mover, and to then directly couple this machine part with its prime mover. In one arrangement the direct couple is automatically obtained after the part has reached a predetermined speed with relation to the driving speed. In another embodiment of the invention, the direct couple is effected after a definite period of time has elapsed from the initial slip-couple.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon other- Wise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a safety drive adapted for driving the various sections of a paper making machine including a. single prime mover, a main drive shaft driven by said prime mover, and a driven shaft for each of the various sections, a plurality of fluid pressure-operated clutches each having a plurality of friction disks driven by said main drive shaft, a plurality of shoes in each clutch connected to a driven shaft and adapted to fric tionally engage said disks, a diaphragm for each clutch actuating the shoes into frlctional engagement with the disks of the clutch, means for supplying air under controlled pressure to the diaphragm of each clutch for slip-coupling the shoes with the disks of the clutch, and means responsive to relative speeds of the main drive shaft and each driven shaft for increasing the air pressure supplied to each diaphragm to frictionally couple the shoes with the disks without slippage therebetween.

2. In a safety friction clutch drive adapted for driving the various sections oi' a paper making machine including a. single prime mover, a main drive shaft driven by said prime mover. and a driven shaft for each of the various sections, a plurality of friction clutches each having friction disks driven by said main drive shaft, a plurality of disk-engaging shoes in each clutch connected to a driven shaft, a compressed air actuated diaphragm in each clutch acting on said shoes to frictionally couple the shoes with the disks, means for vsupplying compressed air at controlled pressures to said diaphragm for initially slip-coupling the shoes with the disks for driving the driven shaft from the drive shaft, and automatic means for increasing the air pressure on said diaphragm for frictionally coupling the shoes with said disks without slippage therebetween after completion'of a predetermined slipcoupling period.

3. A clutch drive comprising a drive shaft, a driving clutch part driven by said drive shaft. a driven clutch part adapted to be driven by said driving clutch part, iiuid pressure actuated means for coupling said driving and driven clutch parts, spring means for uncoupling said driving and driven clutch parts, means for supplying fluid under controlled pressure to said actuating means for slip-coupling the driving and driven clutch parts, a magneto driven by the driving clutch part, a second magneto driven by the driven clutch part, a frequency relay energized by said magnetos adapted to be actuated whenever the frequencies of current generated by said magnetos are substantially balanced, and an electric operated valve controlled by Isaid relay to increase the fluid pressure on said actuating means for frictionally coupling the clutch parts without slippage therebetween whenever the speed of the driven part approaches the speed of the driving part.

4. A clutch comprising a first shaft, an internally splined clutch part secured on said first shaft, an externally splined clutch part rotatable on said first shaft, a second shaft secured to said second clutch part, alternately disposed friction disks and clutch shoes respectively slidably splined to said first and second clutch parts, spring means acting on said shoes to separate the shoes from the friction disks, a diaphragm carrying member secured on said second clutch part providing an air chamber, a diaphragm on said member covering said air chamber, means for supplying air under pressure to said chamber for flexing said diaphragm to thrust against said shoes and disks for slip-coupling the first and second clutch parts and means for automatically increasing the air pressure in said chamber to frictionally couple the clutch parts without slippage therebetween.

5. In a machine drive mechanism including a driving member, driven members and a plurality of fluid operated clutches providing a drive connection between each of said driven members and said drive member, means for supplying fluid under pressure in stages to said clutches comprising a fluid pressure supply pipe, feed pipes connecting each clutch with said supply pipe, a pressure reducing valve in each feed pipe for supplying said fluid under a predetermined pressure to actuate a clutch and establish a slip-driving connection therethrough between the corresponding driven member and the drive member. a by-pass around each pressure reducing valve, a valve controlling fluid now through each by-pass, and mechanism operable after the aforesaid establishing of a slip-driving connection to open the corresponding by-pass valve to supply full fluid pressure to the clutch so actuated.

6. In a machine drive mechanism including a driving member, driven members and a plurality of fluid operated clutches providing a drive connection between each of said driven members and said drive member, means for supplying iiuid under pressure in stages to said clutches comprising a iiuid pressure supply pipe, feed pipe connecting each clutch with said supply pipe, a pressure reducing valve in each feed pipe for supplying said fluid under a predetermined pressure to actuate a clutch and establish a slip-driving connection therethrough between the corresponding driven member and the drive member, a by-pass around each pressure reducing valve, a valve controlling fluid flow through each bypass, and mechanism including magnetos driven separately from said drive member and from said driven members and a relay in circuit with said magnetos and operable after theaforesaid establishing of a slip-driving connection to open the corresponding by-pass valve to supply full uid pressure to the clutch so actuated.

7. A machine drive mechanism comprising a main drive shaft, a plurality of fluid pressure actuated clutches having driving and driven ele- 20 ments, means operatively connecting al1 of said driving elements to said main drive shaft, an inshaft driven `by the driven element of each clutch, fluid pressure means operative under a given fiuid pressure to actuate all of said clutches 25 v simultaneously to slip-couple said driving and driven elements to drive said inshafts from said drive shaft, and automatic means operative upon the completion of a, predetermined slip-couple cycle to apply a higher fluid pressure to said 30 i0 clutches to increase the frictional pressure between said driving and driven elements and thereby reduce slippage therebetween.

LLOYD HORNBOSTEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file o'f this patent:

v STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 810,783 Maxwell Jan. 23, 1906 881,376 Carpenter Mar. 10, 1908 1,082,624 Crouse et al Dec. 30, 1913 1,270,761 Stein June 25, 1918 1,368,434 Higinbotham Feb. 15, 1921 1,686,827 Maag Oct. 9, 1928 1,744,241 Pierle Jan. 21, 1930 1,759,755 Lindner May 20, 1930 1,999,366 Maybach Apr. 30, 1935 2,115,763 Burke May 3, 1938 2,214,201 Moulder Sept. 10, 1940 2,313,187 Williamson Mar. 9, 1943 2,370,360 McLean et al. Feb. 27, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 327,386 Germany Oct. 11, 1920 

